Message to Googie

There have been a few new visitors and status updates since you left us Googie, I thought you would like to know ! 1st of all we have 3 kitty friends as temporary fosters.There's Fling and her kitten buddy Sherri . We're hoping they get adopted together as they've bonded so strongly. You would have tried taunting Fling into playing but she's more of a snuggly/sleepy girl,very affectionate ! Her buddy would have kept you amused I'm sure. There's also Wednesday, a beautiful small pure black longhair ! I can see you picking on her and stealing her food,she's pretty tough though. They're just visiting and not your replacement. No one could replace you my friend. The other big news is that your mommy and I are now engaged,I somehow think you would have approved. You welcomed me into the family almost 4 years ago with open paws,thank you. How funny it now seems that I had trouble back then telling you and Chuckles apart ! Mom and I are not the only ones who miss you,Bonnie and the other kitties seem to be a little off since you've gone. We all really miss you, keep in touch and we'll do the same ! Love Dad

Maneki Googie

I wanted to get a maneki neko cat tattoo for a long time. I had planned to use Googie as the model because he looked right for the part. So when I read about a tattoo artist who was trying to raise money to pay for life saving surgery for his pit bull, I decided the time was right. The traditional maneki neko cat has a medallion on his collar that says happiness. The coin he holds usually refers to lots of money. I had already decided I wanted to change what was on the coin and then when Googie died I decided that I wanted to have it say in memory.

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Feed me !!!!

Googie wasn't much for sleeping in. He would let you know that it was time to feed him and his kitty comrades (by default) in his own special way. Since there's many of us and space is precious I built a loft bed.For the unenlightened,a loft bed is a large platform (for a matress) built above head height with a ladder attached. A lot goes on up there,eating,TV,games.......and sleeping. It's also a refuge for the cats from our floor dweller Bonnie,the dog.Cats lounge up there and when we eat,bum rush us for our treats. But back to the morning wake up . Googie would come up on the loft and walk on us,tap our noses or MEOW LOUD hoping to get us up. After waking us he would skillfully avoid my foot under the covers as I would try to give him nudge. Another tactic used was to knock magnets off the fridge or things off the shelve. For a while we countered with a squirt gun.He made a pretty good alarm clock . He was an important piece of my life,but how quickly it feels so long ago. Why is that ?

Memories

I need to keep this project fresh. I am forgetting little things already. Googie, I still miss you.

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Is there a Dentist in the house ?

Yes, at our 14th St. apartment we were fortunate to have a 'Board Certified Dentist' named Googie ! Many times after returning home I would be greeted by Googie, high on his perch,the fridge.Then if I opened my mouth,he would put his face real close and give my teeth 'the once over'. Was he searching for food residue or cavities,we'll never know? But it was our little game ! A lap kittie he was not or at least not with me. But Googie was a 'leg man' ! He loved to lay across my legs when we'd watch TV or just call it a night. He'd look so content lying there and it was his way of hanging with his dad. Once he had settled in,he expected you to commit too. If you tried to move he would voice his displeasure. He was probably the crankiest of the cats,never afraid to voice his opinion. The kitty dynamics have certainly changed around here. We ALL miss him a lot !!

Googie the Bully

Googie was not always a nice cat to other cats. He would hiss and swat others at first and at meal times. He respected Chuckles who was here before he was but any newcomers were fair game.

The first newcomer cat was Vladimir, a senior medium haired grey cat.

Vladimir

Googie must have thought Vladimir was an easy target. He would stalk him and pounce. Vladimir is a tough old guy though and he fought back and usually kicked Googie's ass.Googie would chase him down. Vladimir clearly wanted to avoid a fight.But Googie was persistent and Vladimir would take a stand. And he'd fight well.He'd rabbit kick Googie in the face and usually end up the victor.

This picture is fuzzy but you can get the idea. This was Googie challenging Charlie, one of our newer cats. She has cerebellar hyperplasia so is a little off which confused the other cats at first. Googie wasn't quite sure what to make of her. Here he is sniffing her. Charlie defended herself well though and went on a short offensive where she stalked the other cats to assert herself. Googie for the most part left her alone except before breakfast. Low blood sugar? He was definitely cranky in the morning. And when he would swat Charlie her neurological problem would make her fall over, poor kid. He also would occasionally bite her on the neck.

Apollo was the last cat to join our family. He has impaired vision. Googie wasn't very nice to him-he didn't just swat Apollo, he would bite his neck. Appy w was a quiet cat when Googie was here. Now he has become the explorer. He wants to go out in the hall, he's started climbing and jumping on the counter and he spends less time with humans. I'm happy from Apollo-that he isn't intimidated anymore but it makes me sad that Googie was a bully and had the poor cat scared. Before he came here he was in a big foster cat household where he was also picked on but by many more cats. So I guess that even with Googie being a jerk he was still happier here than there.

Other People Miss Him Too

Googie wasn't just our cat-he had other cats who lived with him. He was kind of a bully but that didn't stop  Oliver from becoming his friend. They would wrestle and chase each other around. Then they would sleep together and Oliver would clean Googie's head. When Oliver first came Googie hissed and hissed at him. Then gradually they became friends. Googie was happy to have a young cat to play with - he was five when Oliver came to live with us and Oliver was about seven months.- and our other cats were older-Chuckles was 12 then and Vladimir 16. So a playful energetic cat was good for him. He used to stalk poor Vladimir before Oliver. In retrospect I think he was trying to play but Vladimir had no interest so it would end up as a fight.

This is Oliver and Googie sitting together on a food storage bin. Quite appropriate since they were both the most food driven of the cats.Since Googie's death Oliver has been acting strangely. He has been spending a lot of time in the bathroom by himself, he isn't as interested in food and he looks a bit lost. I don't know if he knows Googie is gone or if he just knows something is different. He plays with our foster kitten Sherry but some things, like the laser toy, don't interest him. He and Googie used to both chase it together. Or one would watch the other. There's a good chance I'm reading way too much into Oliver's behavior and projecting what I imagine Oliver might be feeling onto him. A VERY good chance.But that's okay-I like to believe Googie was loved by his cat friends and that in some way they miss him too.